Why $100 Logos will kill your business.

Here’s an email I got in 2020 from a prospective client,

“Hey, I’m starting a new landscaping company. I need a logo and can spend $100. What can you do for me for that price?”

Oy. What can I do? I can refer you to Fiverr.com

My design friends and I used to complain about how Fiverr was taking our business. Places like Upwork and 99 Designs turn a branding project into a design competition for minimal pay. Upwork asks that designers start at charging $10/hour in order to get business. What were we to do? We had years of art school education, experience, and hundreds of projects under our belts. Now we’re supposed to charge a 1990s babysitting rate? The horror.

Again, what were we to do? The answer is nothing.

Sure, the 19-year-old on Fiverr is talented and only charges $5/hour. But what are the chances he is doing market research on your industry? What are the chances there isn’t a communication barrier?

The realization came that Fiverr was not our competition. Does the local, artisan coffee shop dread when Starbucks releases a new drink? No. Does the custom floral arrangement boutique frantically check what Flowerama is putting out the first week of spring? No. Do you want to buy a sweater that lasts you several years, or one that will unravel upon the first wash? Simply put, value and quality matter. What we experienced designers create with our branding packages is a completely different product than a $50-$100 logo from Fiverr. For more on the difference between a logo and branding, I wrote a blog post that you can read here.

Fiverr attracts a very specific type of clientele; those who don't have a budget to invest in their business and need something to get them by. This clientele is also unaware of marketing, branding, and essential steps required for a successful company launch (or brand re-fresh). Often I have to turn down work because of a disconnect in budget. In relation to the landscaping company, what I feared actually happened. The company doesn’t have a social presence, website landing page, or even a Google business page! Far too often I’ve seen a failure to launch due to a lack of prioritizing and investment in branding.

Below is a logo that a client of mine had made for him on a logo site that employs (usually impoverished) designers overseas. He paid $50 and soon realized an investment was necessary for his company to have a professional identity.

Below is what we created together. As you can see, Mark loves his dogs (can relate). His only real ask was that they be included in his logo. So, how do we do that without making a real estate group look like a veterinarian? The short answer is hierarchy. The visual answer is below :)

Here’s a hard fact. Whatever you’re putting out into the world, directly correlates to what you will receive. (If anyone is a fan of the Law of Attraction, the same goes for your subconscious thoughts). Like attracts like. How you present your business to the world is extremely important. With social media dominating our time more and more, we are attracting people that find value in what we have to offer. And this is why Fiverr isn't our competition. You either find the value, or you don't.

Cheers to value!